As the Gods Say
by Mustaches
Summary: Shintaro, Takane, and Haruka were just a trio of gods that guided the Earth in their heavenly Heat Haze. But when the lead god, Azami, declares that there is a fourth god out in the world, the three of them must take on human forms and find this last god. Meanwhile, Ayano questions her red eyes - the one she had gained after her "death". / Gods AU with the Yuukei Quartet.
1. Madder Red, Who Are You?

**I gotta say this right now, this AU and title was inspired by the song "Kami no Manimani" by ****rerulili. Go check it out if you haven't! It's got a catchy tune and nice lyrics. **

**Yes, another multi-chap from the procrastinator herself. Amazing. Let's see how well this goes. Updates will be mega slow for both my stories now. This is also unedited since I ran out of time, so please tell me about any mistakes. Thank you. ;v;**

**Kagerou Project belongs to Jin.**

* * *

They were often called "The Snakes of the Haze". And while there was one major deity above all of them, there were a trio of gods who looked after the world in a much more thorough fashion.

Shintaro was the Recording God. He looked after everyone's memories, good ones and bad ones, for thousands of years. It was a little overwhelming, and that was something he could admit. But because of all the memories he possessed, he became much more intelligent than the other two gods.

Takane was the Opening God. She was gifted with the ability to slip out of her consciousness and into a being called "Ene". Now, Ene was like a ghost, and was used whenever there was war or tension on Earth. Takane would use Ene as a way to whisper into people's ears and bring them to do the right thing, which was kind of ironic, considering her irritable personality.

Haruka was the Awakening God. He had great strength, often accompanying Ene when war seemed to wage out. He would be the one to stop them as another being. Those war heroes in those textbooks students read at school? Those had been him in a different form. However, shaping himself to be someone different often strained his brain, making him lose memories here and there. Which was what Shintaro was for, right?

They were all ruled by Azami, the God of the Heat Haze. She was able to control the snakes that were inside the three gods, as well as others that would talk a long time to list. She had ultimate power above all the snakes, using them to protect the Earth below them. It was a cycle, and Azami was usually always busy to talk to the other three gods.

Until today.

"Eh, Azami wants us _now_?" Takane looked up from her poised position, the large blue jacket she wore ruffling as she stood up. "Gee, I was about to go down there, too."

"To do what? Mess around with some of them?" Shintaro retorted, tugging on his red jersey. "It's so hot in here, I swear. Sometimes I wish I wasn't here."

"Aw, but what would we ever do without you, Shintaro?" Haruka whined, his green cardigan too big for him to wear. He still wore it, despite Takane telling him time and time again to wear something else.

"It's more like what _you _would do without me," Shintaro immediately snapped back, crossing his arms. "Seriously, it's such a hassle having your memories with me, too."

"You were all taking too long."

Darkness loomed over them, and the black-haired ruler appeared in front of them. As if it was a reflex, Takane hid behind Haruka, who only stepped back in shock. Shintaro stood still, rolling his eyes at the sight. Azami grazed her stare over all them, her unwavering crimson eyes shining in the dim environment. When silence washed over them, she spoke.

"There is a fourth god." The surpised look on their faces was something Azami expected, and so she continued. "It happened again. How could I be so foolish…"

"What do you want us to do?" While Takane and Haruka had hazy memories of their deaths, Shintaro knew theirs as well as his pretty well, and he knew that this meant bad luck if they didn't do anything.

"I cannot go down to Earth like I used to," Azami said, looking down at the ground. "I have the snakes to control, and they are getting much more restless than ever. So…"

"You want _us _to go?" Takane piped up, her narrow gaze resting on the higher god. "Well, as if we don't go down there already! We'll just – "

"No, do not use your other forms!" Azami commanded, stopping Takane in the middle of a sentence, which was something one _shouldn't _do. But the Opening God let it slide for now, the urgency in Azami's voice being a bit too alarming for her. "It is dangerous."

"But we're gods…" Haruka trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. "Wouldn't it be okay? I mean, they would know about us, right? So why…?"

Azami kept looking down at the ground, which caused Shintaro to mull through his endless archive of memories. When he finally came to his conclusion, he realized their dire situation.

"Are you telling me…that the reason the snake escaped was because of _him_?" Shintaro stared at the higher god, who did not reply. Although her eyes did flicker a bit, the red tint showing concern and worry. "I see. Then it wouldn't help if he knew there were three gods on Earth."

"_Him_?" Takane scoffed, crossing her arms. "Gee, what's he been up to in his little 'Outer World'?"

"Takane, Haruka." Azami finally spoke, and their attention turned to her. "You are used to going down to Earth, so you are more familiar. However, Shintaro has never left, so please look out for him. This is not the time to be fooling around. Bring them here quickly. I will turn you into your human forms and drop you off to the snake's location, but finding them is your one and only mission. Now, off you go."

* * *

"Tateyama…? Oi, over here!"

"E – eh?!" Ayano stood up, the teacher's eyes narrowing on her as the blood drained from her face. "What is it, sensei?"

"I just asked you a question." When the girl seemed to not pick up on what they were saying, they sighed. "How did the Snakes of the Haze come into existence?"

"Oh!" This was a story that Ayano told her siblings often, and so she spoke about the gods with an enthusiastic tone. "A long time ago, the god Azami ruled the world alone, the snakes following her every word. But on the day August Fifteenth, they grew restless and swallowed four people up from their deaths. Since the snakes were now their life sources and gave them immense power, Azami gave them two options; they would either keep their snakes and become gods like her, protecting the Earth, or they would have their snakes ripped out, leaving them as dead corpses. Three of them chose to be gods, but the other refused both options, and he went off to create the 'Outer World', where he uses his snake's powers to bring tragedy."

"Oh, so you _did _pay attention to the lesson about these legends, then." The teacher replied, to which the class tittered in laughter.

"They're not legends…!" Ayano muttered as she sat down, face red as the teacher continued their lesson. "At least _they_ think they aren't…"

Her siblings were very much precious to her. They were her light, and she would do anything for them. So if it meant jumping in front of that truck to push them away from harm's way, then so be it! It was a miracle that she wasn't injured that much – just a scrape here and there. It was like new life was breathed into her.

All she remembered was darkness surrounding her after she got hit, and then she woke up with her siblings crying. That was when she realized that she was lying in the middle of the street, her red scarf sprawled out. People were talking, someone said the ambulance was coming, and there were strangers asking if she was okay.

They truly believed in the gods much more after that. They were also convinced that the reason Ayano was alright was because she was swallowed by a snake. As if! She was no one special, just another face in the crowd. Why would a snake swallow _her _up?

Although, right after the incident, her eyes turned red at random times. Now why was that…?

She would find out soon enough. For now, she tried to focus on her studies.


	2. Dead Girl, Where Will You End Up?

** Azami's story is (somewhat loosely) based off of ****Amaterasu, an ancient Japanese goddess. It does have a similar plot but branches off into another ending. I'm just a huge junkie for mythology and…yeah. This happened.**

**I love this AU so much help. I plotted everything out a few days ago and I just…fdskljfsdk I cannot wait to write it all out. I am super excited. Maybe it's all the vitamin drinks I've been downing lately.**

**Also! The rating for this fic changed. Just in case, ya know?**

**Kagerou Project belongs to Jin.**

* * *

"Good night!"

"No, onee-chan!" The blonde begged, followed by a greenette and a black-haired boy. "We want a bedtime story!"

"What, a bedtime story?" Ayano yawned, the sleepiness kicking in once more. She never did seem to get enough sleep. If anything, her big amount of schoolwork had taken those precious hours away from her. "It's kind of late…"

"No it's not!" Kousuke shouted. "Please, onee-chan? Tell us the one with Azami!"

"Yeah!" Shuuya chipped in, raising his voice despite Ayano's attempts to keep him quiet. "That one! I want to hear that one!"

"I – if you want…" Tsubomi added, and in the only hushed voice among the three young ones.

"Ah, that one? But you've heard it so many times!" Ayano said, closing the lights in hopes that they would stop.

They continued begging, and the big sister gave in. Ayano looked out the hallway, and seeing that none of her parents were in sight, she closed the door, sending cheers from the three kids. She shushed them with a finger to her lips, but they bounced with excitement as she sat down on the floor. They gathered around her in a circle, and she clicked open a flashlight to illuminate the dark.

"Well, you see, Azami had always been a god," Ayano began, retelling the tale she had told her siblings over and over again. "She had always been a god, but back then, she took on a human form. At that time, the villagers considered her control over the snakes to be witchcraft, and they never allowed her to go near their village. Because of that, Azami locked herself away in a small house in the forest.

"Then, after many years of being inside her house, a man in white knocked on her door. At first she was confused – no one ever came to her house. She told the man to go away, but he refused. He kept coming back day after day, knocking on her door, and she kept refusing to open it. So one day, he knocked again, and he said, 'I have found a god much greater than you.'

"This captured Azami's attention, and she immediately went outside, the snakes following close behind her. She thought the man would have been scared, but he didn't move. Azami asked, 'Who is this god much greater than me?' The man held up a mirror, and Azami's reflection shone before her. She realized what the man had meant, and for once she felt accepted in this world. The end!"

She tucked in each sibling individually, each doing their own rituals before snoozing off. She turned off the flashlight, opening and closing the door quietly so her parents wouldn't notice. After she was in the hallway, she let out a sigh.

Ayano always told her siblings the happy part of the story. She never told them the rest, for she feared that it would scare them. But to her, the story was interesting, although the ending was a bit sad after she had learned about it. She silently murmured the rest of the tale to herself as she walked to her room.

"The man and Azami fell in love, and after years of spending time with each other, the man finally asked Azami to be his wife. She accepted, and he went back to the village to buy her a wedding dress. Days turned into weeks, and the man didn't return."

She was in her room now, and the moon shone brightly through her blinds. Sitting on her bed, she continued, reciting the story to nobody else except herself.

"Later, an invading party stormed into Azami's house, and through the power of one of the snakes, she learned that they had tortured the man until he died. In her grief she fled the world, creating the Heat Haze as her escape. She took the snakes with her, and she stayed there for a long time. She was a god, and she was immortal. And for a long time, she didn't know what to do."

Ayano climbed under her blankets, clutching one of her pillows as she felt her eyes burn. But she persisted, telling herself to finish the last part.

"Until one day, she remembered how much the man loved the Earth. On that day, August fifteen, she vowed to keep the Earth safe using her powers and her snakes, until the very end. That's the real ending."

* * *

_Earlier that day –_

"Agh, we're such idiots!" Takane stopped in her tracks, ruffling her hair until the twin-tails grew lopsided. She pointed at Shintaro with a shaking finger, yelling, "You remember things, right? Use your power to find out who got swallowed by the snake!"

"First of all, you're too loud. Someone's going to find out if you keep screaming like this." Takane's eye twitched after Shintaro's statement, but she didn't lower her finger. Haruka, on the other hand, seemed confused, but that was his nature. Shintaro sighed, continuing. "Second, I am no idiot, and I would like to confirm that I _did _try that before."

"So? What'd you find, then?" Takane asked, her voice trying to take on a normal tone.

"I…didn't find anything," Shintaro replied, his unwavering gaze striking a nerve in Takane.

"What do you _mean _you didn't find anything?!" Her voice rose to a higher volume again. "You remember everything!"

"Okay, I _did _try to find it, I swear," Shintaro explained, and although Takane's anger wasn't all that new to him, he knew that she had the tendency to go all crazy once she had started her rampage. And that's what they didn't need, right? After all, they _were _trying to keep off of _his _radar. "I tried it as soon as we got sent down here. But something…_tampered _with my memories, so to speak."

"Tampered?" Haruka's head tilted to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…I searched through all the memories on that day, and I didn't find any memories pertaining a death in the Haze." Shintaro stopped, double checking before confirming his inferences. "Yeah, can't find any. I mean, all my other memories are there, but it seems like there's nothing that happened during a certain time period. Let's see…twelve thirty to twelve-thirty five. Nothing. Void. Null."

"So…you know _nothing_?" When Shintaro shook his head, Takane stomped her feet in frustration. "What messed with your memories then?!"

"I think _he_ knows," The boy said, looking around in suspicion. No one seemed to be around, and he went on. "I think…_he _was the one to mess with my memories."

"So he went through your head and stuff?"

"No, no, I don't think that's it." Shintaro scratched his head. "I think…he covered it up. Whoever died, he covered it up. He's got that 'Clearing Power', right?"

"You mean…the one where he can bring darkness to people's views for a short period of time?" Haruka had followed along, so it seemed. "So that he can grant those 'wishes of tragedy'?"

"Exactly," The other boy said. "He used his power to cover up someone's death."

"That power…" Takane gritted her teeth, crossing her arms in defeat. "Not only is he using that to bring tragedy into the world, but he's also using _that_ against _us_. Pathetic."

"If anything, it was clever." Shintaro then walked past them, looking ahead at the street. "Not only do we have to find out _who _died now…but _why_."

* * *

"Ahh, they've caught on to me!"

He laughed, the snake inside of him writhing in enjoyment as he gazed at his own world. Yellow poles and electricity lines decorated the place, a broken truck and bloody street signs scattered about. Indeed, this was the place of his creation. He should become an interior designer.

Of course, after he was done granting everyone's wishes.

Sneering, he turned to look out into the world to see what he should do next. Then, spotting his next victims, he looked closer. A brown-haired boy and a girl with pigtails seemed to be at the playground, aimlessly swinging on the swing set. The girl had a cat in her lap, and she seemed angry at the boy.

"You don't know anything about the city!" The girl exclaimed, sending the boy to rattle in embarrassment. "You would be lost without me!"

"Eh, Hiyori…" The boy pleaded, sending the snake, as well as himself, to chuckle. "I'm staying at your house, though."

"I know that, Hibiya!" The girl looked down at the cat, pouting. Muttering to herself, she said, "Sometimes I wish you didn't have to tag along with me."

He grinned. A wish, hmm? The snake within him nodded in agreement, and he looked at the truck that had struck that girl with the red scarf just a day ago. Letting out another laugh, he began making arrangements to send the truck out into the other world. After all, he had a wish to fulfill.

"I think you'll be the first to go, 'Hiyori'. After all, he won't be able to tag along with you once you're dead, right?"


	3. In Theory, Wouldn't You Be Dead By Now?

**I swear there's some sort of curse with me writing third chapters or something. Afdsfd they take me forever to write. But I finally got off my somewhat lazy butt and tried to edit this. I'm pretty sure it's not all that perfect, but there was an attempt.**

**Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try to learn Toumei Answer on the piano/keyboard by the end of this week so I can cry over my Shinaya feels. I don't even know how to read notes. I've only started playing things yesterday. I'm doing this with a video tutorial and listening by ear. RIP in peace Arryja.**

**Kagerou Project belongs to Jin.**

* * *

"_Ayano now's your big sister, so get along, everyone!"_

_The three children that stood in front of her all averted their eyes from the girl, and it was in her nature to be curious. Of course she wanted them feel right at home already so that they could play games and the like, but if they weren't even comfortable with her, she would have to do _something.

"_Hello!" This brought their attention to her, and she waved back timidly. "Aha, a big sister, huh? I'll try my best!"_

"_Should we call you 'onee-chan', then?" The greenette had asked, her presence much like a ghost. "I mean, it's only polite – "_

"_Aha, don't worry about that!" Ayano said, laughing at the suggestion. "Don't worry about that for now, okay? So…what do you guys like to do for fun?"_

"_We never had fun in the orphanage," the black-haired boy replied, looking as if he was blinking back tears. "We were all just shut out by the other kids…"_

"_How so?"_

"_Well, unlike the other kids, we thought the Snakes of the Haze were pretty cool, I guess," the blonde said, looking around as if someone was around to hear his words. "But they teased us…and said they didn't exist…"_

_Ah, the Snakes of the Haze. Those were the stories she had grown up with during her childhood. How could something so timeless be ridiculed now? No, that wasn't right. She had to correct this notion._

_Red was the color of the snakes' eyes, right?_

"_I'll be right back!" _

_Running to her room, Ayano rummaged through her drawers until she found her desired item. She then raced back, and breathlessly she stood in front of her three new siblings. Giving them her best smile, she wrapped the red muffler around her, and she tried to strike a heroic pose._

"_Red's the color of the snakes!" She declared, the three's eyes widening as she spoke. "Come on – let's dye everything a madder red!"_

* * *

"I – I'm sorry!"

Red fabric was the last thing they had seen before the collision, and while Takane and Haruka had only stumbled upon impact, Shintaro had almost fallen. The figure held Shintaro in their arms, their high-pitched voice squeaking as the boy tried to wriggle out of its grasp. When he finally did, he stood up, brushing his sleeves while his cheeks turned a bright red.

The figure, now identified as a girl, also turned as red as the scarf she wore, and she seemed breathless. Looking at all three of them, her eyes widened with concern, and she let out more words of apology.

"I – I'm so sorry! I really am!" She turned to Shintaro, and her cheeks became a much deeper red. "I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"Eh, no, it's fine," Shintaro replied, rubbing the back of his neck as Takane clicked her tongue in annoyance. Of course it wasn't fine, and she knew that well. If the girl hadn't caught Shintaro upon bumping into him, he would have broken his entire face.

"I...no it's not!" Upon this, Haruka jumped in surprise, taken back by the girl's sudden statement. The girl continued, tugging on her scarf and saying, "Are you sure you're okay? You don't seem fine!"

And that's when they saw it. The girl blinked, and her eyes turned red. Their snakes started writhing within them as they all landed their eyes on the girl's own, and the girl took a step back. She began rubbing her eyes, and when the red didn't disappear, she turned away.

"I – I – " She stuttered, trying to think of _something _to say. Of all times…

Quiet words were whispered among the three of them as the burning sensation didn't leave her eyes. When she had wished for her walk to school to be much more eventful, she didn't mean _this. _Finally, the boy in the red jersey spoke, and she turned to look at him as he did.

"I guess we found you. Well, welcome to our group."

* * *

_When her three siblings came home from school, she noticed that Kousuke seemed to be hiding tears, and she immediately questioned him about it. Gently, of course – she didn't want to pry if it was too personal. But she _did_ want to help him, and how could she do that if she didn't even know the problem?_

"_Kousuke, what's wrong?" She bent down to his height, pulling him into a hug as she did. He cried for a few more minutes before it seemed to subside, and she pulled him out of her embrace to talk to him face to face._

"_Th – there's non-believers, too," he replied, sniffing as he did. "They told me your stories about the gods aren't true."_

"_Yeah!" Shuuya added, crossing his arms in defense. "We tried to tell them off, but they just kept persisting until Kousuke cried!"_

"_I was about to get them…" Tsubomi muttered, barely audible._

"_Onee-chan, your stories are real, right?" Kousuke looked up to her eyes, and the swimming pools of tears worried her. Wiping them away, she gave them one of her signatures smiles, the ones they saw every day._

"_Of course!"_

* * *

"A god?! But…I'm just someone normal!" Formally introduced as Ayano, the girl had been dragged to an empty park, taking a seat in a small bench while the other three stood up.

"How do you explain your death, then?" While Shintaro was still devoid of certain memories, Ayano's explanation as to what had happened during that time frame gave him room to assume that she was the person _he _was trying to cover up. "You didn't get hurt that badly or died, did you?"

"Well, no…"

"And do you have an explanation about those red eyes of yours?"

"No…" Ayano looked away for a second, seemingly lost in thought before looking back. "But…why me? Why would a snake choose _me _of all people to swallow up?"

"Well, we're not sure ourselves!" Haruka piped up, only to receive an image of Takane rolling her eyes at his statement. Always so optimistic, wasn't he? He continued, trying to at least give Ayano a positive outlook on the situation. "But…you're one of us now, right? So we'll just take you to the Haze now – "

"Woah, hold on a minute!" The girl shot up in an abrupt manner, glancing at all three as the uncertainty settled into her. "The Haze? You mean…that's real, too?"

"Well where else would we stay if it wasn't real?" Takane replied, shrugging it off as a normal question. "We don't just roam around the streets, you know. And you can't do that, either."

"B – but why?"

"First off, we don't even know which snake you have. Azami didn't specify that. If you're left to roam the streets with _that_ in you, something's bound to go wrong." It was Shintaro's turn to talk, and he said it in such a "matter-of-fact" tone that Ayano couldn't help but feel _slightly _intimidated. "Second…well, why do you need any other reason? We're there, and you'll just have to tag along."

"Much to his surprise, I guess," Takane added in a teasing way, sending Shintaro to give her an irritated look.

"But…I can't just leave my family!" Ayano exclaimed, hands clutching the scarf wrapped around her neck. "I have three siblings I want to see grow up!"

"You can always watch them in the Haze," Haruka said, trying to contribute to the conversation. "We can see everyone up there!"

"But that's not the same!" Ayano slung her school bag over her shoulder, seeming to have made up her mind. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you."

"I don't think you understand," Shintaro replied, crossing his arms as Ayano only looked up at him. "You don't really have a choice here. You _have _to come with us."

* * *

One day. One day was all that was given to her.

She had to decide. It was such a hard decision, and in the end, how would she be able to come to a conclusion?

To go into the Haze with them, or to get the snake ripped out of her...

Of course, if she went with the first choice, she'd never see her family again. She'd be eternal while they would grow old and die eventually.

But if she died, then what then? Her family would never see _her_ again, and she'd never be able to watch them. She would not be in a timeless place, and she would be gone from the face of the Earth.

Was that really better than watching them from the Heat Haze? Or would she rather go through the pain of watching them from far away?

Tugging on her scarf, she let out a sigh, the summer breeze blowing softly past her as she told herself a simple thought.

But it was anything from simple.

In fact, one could even say that it made things a bit more complicated.

"I wish I knew what to do."


	4. A Story Of A God As Old As The Earth

**I think my writer's block is starting go away. *throws a party* Here's a shameless filler chapter while I go and fix whatever I wrote during that time.**

**Now to hope that I caught all of the mistakes.**

**Kagerou Project belongs to Jin.**

* * *

She was born at the same time the Earth was, and so it was only natural for the two to share a connection. However, she would not discover that until her "humanity" was taken away from her.

And that

would

take

years –

* * *

She had always roamed the Earth, unclear of her powers. She had lived as one of the humans until she realized that she was not like them. She lived much longer than they did – in fact, she didn't even age as fast as humans did. They died so quickly while was still as youthful as ever.

One day she walked away from the current population of people, wondering _what _she was. Was she a monster? That was a possibility. She was simply _not_ human, although she _did _look like them…with the exception of her long black hair and small stature.

The path leading into the woods was a long and winding one, and she found herself wandering around for days. Where she was going was unknown to her, but she wasn't really worried about that. Anything to get away from the humans.

Ah, how badly did she want to believe that _she _was normal and that the _humans _were different.

But she knew it was the opposite.

And then she stumbled upon them. Slithering among the dirt road, black snakes blocked her way. She stumbled backwards in shock, their red eyes pointed to hers as she recalled the tales of venomous snakes from her village.

_It is her…_

She heard a small voice from the back of her mind, and she snapped her gaze at the snake in front of all the others. It seemed bigger than the rest, leaving her to assume that it was the…leader or something.

"M – me? Wait, how can you talk?" She bent down to reach the snake's level, only to shake her head. "You…probably do not understand me."

_Of course we understand you, Azami. You are our god, after all. And you can use us to your whims, too._

No words were spoken.

_It seems as if she is confused. Shall we help her out?_

* * *

Transferring all of her powers to each individual snake, she kept them around as containers for her new found abilities, so to speak.

But the chatters from the village grew too big for her, and so she fled into a lonely home in the woods, near the place where she had met the snakes. It was a humble little place surrounded by books and nature. It was perfect for someone _not human._

The Combining Snake made its way onto her lap, and as its beady red eyes looked up her, she inclined closer to hear.

_Why did you go away?_

"I am not like them," she replied, gently stroking the fabric of her dress. While she was used to the human life, she would never exactly _be _human. "I am a god, right?"

_And? That didn't stop you before._

"I did not know I was one." Looking down at the floor where the other snakes surrounded her, she felt herself well up in tears. "Besides, they think that my ability to talk to you is…uncommon."

_So you feel discriminated?_

No words yet again.

But deep down inside she knew.

"Maybe."

* * *

_Who is that man, and why did he say he loved you?_

"He is…someone who cares for me." The words seemed unbelievable. Did someone _really _love her, or was the man playing a trick on her? The Stealing Snake made its way on her lap, eyes turning an even deeper shade of red as he, once again, read her mind.

_Care? But didn't you say you were a monster?_

"He looked past that."

_Is it possible for a human to do that?_

"I…" Speechless once again. Did the snakes _really _have to one-up her all the time? Clearing her throat, she managed to get out, "He's different from the other humans."

_Are you sure? Are you sure he isn't just fooling around with you?_

That was a possibility she always considered silently to herself, and she debated whether or not the snake had heard that. Of course there was no question if the snake did – reading minds was its specialty, after all.

"I am sure," she finally replied, breaking the silence. "I think that the man could be trusted."

_Are you letting your feelings get in the way of your rational thoughts?_

Ah, the Favoring Snake. It coiled its way around the arm of her chair, staring deep into her eyes. Analyzing her was what it was probably doing, watching for any signs of sudden movement or a jump in emotions.

It wasn't just her feelings, right? She personally felt that he could be trusted. She _was _using her head…

"Of course."

* * *

_I told you, Azami. He could not be trusted._

Tears.

The fire in her house made it crumble down into nothing but a pile of wood, and as the invaders cheered in their "victory", she fled deeper into the woods, the water in her eyes masking her vision. The Concealing Snake carefully hid her, looking around for any signs of wandering men out to get her.

_What are we going to do now?_

The Combining Snake made its way around her arm, hissing its question into her ear. She shuddered, the sobs slowing down as she realized her responsibility over the man's death.

"It was my fault," she whispered, looking down at the floor as she did. "It was my fault he had to die."

_No, it was the man's fault for falling in love with you._

"And is it not also mine for loving him back?" Looking straight into the Combining Snake's eyes for the very first time, she became aware of her rising tone, and she tried to soften it. "I do not know what to do now…"

_Run. _The Clearing Snake wrapped around her other arm as if it was it was her conscience. _The Heat Haze. Surely you intend to create it now?_

"Of course," she replied, voice shaking a bit. "But…is it really right to leave?"

_You don't have any other choice, do you?_

No.

She didn't.

* * *

"It is so lonely here." Looking down on the Earth she had once walked on, she sighed. The blue and red skies of the Heat Haze were inviting, of course, but after spending a hefty amount of time with emptiness, it seemed a bit…plain. "Do you not think so, too?"

_Of course we do. In fact, we're growing rather restless because of it!_

Ah, the Captivating Snake. It took her attention naturally, and she stared down at the snake that had replied to her impatient statement.

"What do you propose we do then?"

_We can always find people and bring them here so you won't be alone!_

"But…that is wrong, is it not?" She knew that they had to die in order for the snakes to get them. And even then, they'd turn the humans into a host for the snake. "What if…?"

_Do not worry!_

The Captivating Snake looked down at the window into the Earth, and its next words would forever haunt her.

_We will find suitable people, of course!_

* * *

"Azami, why did the snakes pick _us _of all people?"

Takane looked up at the god, eyes filled with the same curiosity that plagued the higher god earlier in her life. The two boys also looked up, seeming curious as well. She had no choice but to reply, didn't she?

"Well, they told me that they were going to find 'suitable people'," She explained, but as she saw Haruka push his head forward, she concluded that she had only confused him and continued. "But now I see that they also picked you because you have the same names as them."

"You _named _the snakes?" The surprise in Shintaro's voice wasn't really, well, surprising.

"They are living entities, are they not?" And just like that, the snakes gathered around Azami's feet. "They deserve names, too."

"So what are their names, then?"

Curious, curious gods. But she gave in, listing each of them as if they were her own.

The Concealing Snake was called Kido.

The Stealing Snake was called Seto.

The Deceiving Snake was called Kano.

The Captivating Snake was called Momo.

The Focusing Snake was called Hibiya.

The Favoring Snake was called Mary.

The Combining Snake was called –


	5. Queen of This Tragedy, Won't You Hurry?

**Hello this took forever to get out. I'm gomen. Er, happy one-month anniversary since the last update? This is so late wow sorry.**

**Throws more confusing things at you oh gosh I hope this makes sense. This was done rather quickly since I was excited for the next chapter and I can't write intense scenes hahaa.**

**I love writing in Azami's POV so much aha – **

* * *

_He knows that, doesn't he?_

"I do not know."

Azami's red eyes looked down at the snakes. For so long had they kept her company, but now it seemed as if they were _against _her, the very foundations of her never-ending world falling between them.

"If he does, I do not know _how_."

_Do you think your trio will be able to fix this?_

"I hope so."

A pause.

"Although, I would not be surprised if they did not."

* * *

"Would it kill you to stop pacing back and forth?" Takane's eyes narrowed at Shintaro, the only one who wasn't sitting on the park bench. "Not only is it _annoying_, but it's gotten to the point where I'm actually _worried _about our situation."

"How could you even say you're not worried?" Shintaro, still pacing despite Takane's statement, crossed his arms, darting his eyes away from the irritated girl. "Was it even right to let _that girl _– "

"'That girl' has a name, you know," Takane interrupted, a rough voice making itself known in her words. "Wouldn't hurt to say, you know."

"I think it's fine if we let Tateyama loose for one more day!" Haruka added, oblivious of the consequences that _could _happen. "I mean, if Azami gave us that option, wouldn't we all jump to saying yes?"

"I wouldn't." Shintaro had finally stopped his nervous habit to shoot a pointed gaze at Haruka. "Besides, she's a different person from us. From what I remembered, our pasts sucked."

"Yeah, and we still don't know what snake she has," Takane replied tartly, giving Shintaro her own deadly stare. "It'll definitely take time to figure out what she wants to do."

"What if…she doesn't come with us?" Haruka piped up, looking at the other two with concern. "I mean, she seems nice and all! I'd feel kind of bad for her family."

"I don't know." Shintaro then looked up at the sky, as if asking Azami to answer their questions. "I'm trying so hard to remember, but I just don't know."

And then he saw it – a twinge of black amongst white clouds, spreading around and swallowing the blue sky. A dark atmosphere settled itself around the park, lights dimming as the black began engulfing the sun. The air became sticky, humid – and surely, _definitely, _something was wrong. Soon the black multiplied into random spots in the sky, and it was as if a dome surrounded itself around the city and blocking all light from the outside.

"O – oi, what's going on?!" Takane stood up as the light was finally sucked out of their city. The bench creaked, indicating that Haruka too was up. "What's _he _up to this time?!"

"I think he's going through his plans," Shintaro said, seemingly from beside Takane.

"B – but we don't even know what powers she has!" Haruka whined from behind.

"I don't either, but let's go anyway."

* * *

_He has surrounded the city in black._

"I can see that." Azami watched the city become enclosed in a dome of black, and she sighed. "I do not know why he is doing this. What does he want?"

_Maybe he's using the girl to lure you out._

Silence.

_Azami?_

"I was wrong to have wiped that memory from his brain."

_A memory?_

"The one where I told him the names of the snakes."

_You wiped it from his memories?_

"I did not know what I was thinking."

_Why?_

"I do not know."

_You have a reason._

* * *

"W – who are you?" Ayano blinked through the dust as her eyes widened. A figure clad in black and yellow stood in front of her, a dirty grin makings its way across his face. In one of his hands was a gun, and she felt herself shaking. What kind of hero was she?

And furthermore, it seemed as if the darkness hadn't swallowed them. Surrounding them was a dome where only they could see, while the rest of the city perished in the black.

"You're a real troublemaker, are you?" He raised the gun, laughing. "Idiots, all of you! You couldn't figure this all out!"

* * *

"I do not have a reason."

_Everyone has a reason – even gods._

"Stop pestering me!" She yelled, falling to the ground. "Stop talking to me."

_We cannot._

"Why not?"

_We hold your powers. You gave us names. We were made to serve you._

_Hmm._

_Did you wipe away that memory so that he wouldn't remember our names?_

"Stop talking. I do not want anything to do with you."

_Did you?_

* * *

"What do you mean…?"

"Don't you see?" He laughed, the sight of the trembling red-clad girl bringing him the fun he'd been _yearning _for. "Everything about you was staged! Your death, your powers, your everything! Your life's a play!"

"But…my family, they're not part of that 'play', are they?" Fear – and also the hope that maybe she could save them.

Because her family gave her much joy, and to have them as mere pawns – that was terrible! Surely she could just...?

Save them all.

Was that what she wanted to do?

* * *

_Tell us, Azami. _

"Maybe I did."

_But why?_

"So that when I die, he will not remember. And if he does not remember, then neither does the other two. None of them can call your names, and you will rot in here once I lock the doors to this place."

_What are you doing?_

Nothing.

_Do you plan on going down there?_

"I have no choice, do I?"

* * *

"When are you going to break?" He yelled, playing a fake yawn as the gun was moved closer to her head. "If you care about them so much, use your monstrous power!"

"I don't…" She held on to her scarf, clinging on to the small hope that it would give her strength. "I don't know what you're talking about! They never explained my powers."

Just then, a bang.

On the dome, at least. A sound was made, and the figure turned around. Ayano dared to move herself to look at what had made the noise, and for a minute she was led to believe that her scarf had held some magical properties.

"Oi, weirdo, stop creeping her out!" Takane's voice – even if Ayano had just met her, her appearance was rather comforting. "We figured it out, so you better stop what you're doing!"

"And by 'we', you mean your smart friend, right?" The smug grin on his face grew wider as Shintaro came into sight, followed by Haruka. "Tell me, how'd you figure it out?"

"You staged her death," Shintaro said through the dome, a little held back, but heard nonetheless. Perhaps he was yelling on the other side, but neither of the two inside knew. "You staged her death and covered it up with your powers so I wouldn't remember anything."

"Wonderful! What led you to think that?"

"This whole darkness thing gave me a little clue." Shintaro then banged his fist on the dome, eyes slanting at the figure. "Why did you decide to kill her, out of all the people you've managed to take the lives of?"

"I thought she seemed…rather _suitable _for the snake inside of her. After all, she's got so much to lose!" The figure laughed once more, before he turned to the girl. "Now, hurry up and use that power of yours, will you?"

* * *

_Azami, it's not safe to open a portal there. Everything is dark._

"I do not care. They are in trouble. It is my fault."

_Maybe it is. But the Controlling Snake was rather restless, wasn't it?_

"No."

_No?_

"Kuroha was luring it to the other side. I felt it, and yet I let go."

_Why?_

"I could not hold on any longer."

_Why?_

"I was afraid."

_Why__?_

"Maybe I knew this would happen."

* * *

"So what will it be, Tateyama?" He stepped forward, bringing the gun closer to her head. "Death for you, or death for your family?"

To save them all.

That was her lonely plan from the very beginning.

So was that what unleashed whatever powers that mainfested itself inside of her?

Her hair grew short, her scarf tearing into fangs that appeared behind her, floating off the ground. Her uniform flowed in the transforming wind, and her eyes stung once more.

Red.

They were red, weren't they?

"Yes, that's it!" The figure cheered, amused. "That's it! Bring the other snakes from the Heat Haze over, and spread the ultimate tragedy into this world!"

What they needed was a sacrifice.

Or rather, what they needed was to sacrifice the whole world instead.

To rid it of evil, it must cleanse itself.

Of the gods.

Of the snakes.

Of everything.

Reset everything.

"Come!"


	6. Don't You Guys Feel Happy? (Final)

**Oh wow, 2015! Hope it's good so far, even if it's been two days into the new year. I was going to post this New Year's Eve so that I could cram in one more thing for 2014, but...let's just say I got distracted by a sports anime with an unlimited amount of volleyballs. I'll just...I'll just leave now before I start yelling about it.**

**As always, please tell me about any mistakes. Kinda rushed a little. owo**

* * *

_Azami perched herself near the Heat Haze's entrance, eyes narrowing at the sight of the Controlling Snake. Ah, she knew it was this powerful, but never had she seen it work inside of an actual human being._

_**So you knew this would happen?**_

"_Is that not what I said earlier?" Azami looked down at the snake rather morosely, a frown accenting her features. "Of course I did. But this time…it is not me who is resetting the timeline, so I do not know what will happen."_

_**You are a god, Azami. In the next timeline, we will meet again.**_

_She _was _rather foolish to wipe the snakes' names from Shintaro's memory, for it would have been useful in finding the girl before this had happened. No, she felt extremely stupid to have wiped the timelines from his mind, because it would have been useful in preventing _this _tragedy. _

_Indeed, the snake of the Outer World grew rather sly over the timelines. He was the one with the strongest will to live, even if it meant resetting time over and over again._

_But she didn't want her three – no, four – gods to remember the snakes or their names, because she had finally decided that this timeline was the last one, and she was to lock the snakes up before the fated day. But alas, she couldn't do it; the snake that had manifested itself inside Ayano had deprived Azami of the control she needed for the other snakes. Yes, she had waited too long, and this had happened._

_"Am I really...that immortal?" _

_'Or have I only lived this long because you take me back to the start over and over again, to the point where I will never see my death?'_

* * *

"I think I understand…" Ayano's fingers played with the fringes of her scarf, her appearance back to normal after her ordeal. "So...the snakes knew that the world would – "

"Cease to carry life, yes."

"And…so one day they controlled you into resetting the timeline…?"

"Rather, it was the Controlling Snake and the snake inside of Kuroha." Azami's eyes seemed to carry a dark light to them, but before Ayano could comment about it, the god continued. "That was days after August fifteen, and so when that faithful day comes again, they reset the timeline so that they may continue to live with me."

"That's…terrible!" Ayano couldn't think of the right words to say. "But…even through all of that, wouldn't that mean that you would have reset this timeline, too? So why was it – "

"I do not know the answer to that, either." The god sighed, tapping the white ground – which was an understatement on its own, because they were surrounded by white, by nothingness. Time had completely gone to the beginning. "I think…it was because they _knew _I was going to lock them up somewhere, and so they made a different plan so that _I _would not reset it."

"Wait…but what about the other gods?!" Ayano looked around in both directions, scratching her head. "W – where'd they go? What if – "

"Do not worry, will you?" The god's voice came out sharper as usual, only because she wasn't used to such a worrisome girl. "If it had been me resetting time, they would have gone along with it, carrying the false belief that they would live forever. However, since _you _did it – "

"Then they're fine!" Ayano interrupted, looking down (because no matter how short the two were, it was Azami who would never come to par) at the other. "Right…?"

"Yes, you spared them. I guess they live another day." If the tone was supposed to sarcastic, Azami would have made it known. But it came out monotone, and the girl beside her only tilted her head to the side. "You are taking this well, surprisingly. Not that it is a bad thing. When the three became gods, they asked me many questions."

"Well, I have a lot of questions, too!"

"And are you going to ask them?"

"Hmm…no." Ayano's smile was bittersweet, yet it wasn't forced either. "I'll just ask them as we go along! We have a world to rebuild!"

"Not even one to start with?" She was trying to be playful, promise, even with the situation at hand.

"Well…" Ah, a weakness was spotted in the red-clad girl. "There _is _one. You talk about locking the snakes up, and since they aren't around you at this moment…where'd they go?"

"Ah." Azami stood herself up, looking down at her pale hand right after. "I took my powers back from them and banished them in the Outer World."

"Y – you didn't destroy the Outer World?!" Of course, Ayano's bewilderment was reasonable, but she practically jumped from her seat. "B – but why? Won't bad things happen there? Isn't Kuroha's snake…?"

"You see, his snake relies on a bad intention, a calamitous wish." When Ayano didn't seem to pick up on the words or reason, Azami sighed. Ah, so there was the confusion that should have come earlier. "You _do _know that Kuroha only wishes to bring tragedies, right?"

"Right…"

"Well, since there is no one on Earth, he cannot make that, and has thus disappeared."

"B – but what about in the other timelines…?"

"I thought you said you would ask questions as we go along." That's when Azami broke a smile, uncharacteristically. Oh well, no one was around to look. "I had always been the human that started his wish-granting spree, for I did not know I was a god. But since it was you and not me, the Heat Haze has remained intact, and I am able to live as a god, not a human."

* * *

"I wouldn't go as far as saying you're a hero…" Shintaro deadpanned, his eyes brimming with crimson light. "But I have to admit that you _did _save us."

"I think what he's _trying _to say is thank you." Takane rolled her eyes at the boy, although in a teasing sort of way. "We'd be gone again. I mean, sure the Earth's pretty much _bare_, but hey, it's better than living through that sort of thing again."

"That sure was a story…!" Haruka commented, rocking back and forth in his seat. "You and Azami figured _all _of that out…?"

"Well, it was mostly Azami!" Ayano was too kind – or maybe even unsure of herself – to _ever _let her take credit for anything, and so she relayed the god's name with ease. "But yeah, it's sort of complicated…!"

"So we just sit here and wait?" The sudden statement from Takane jolted the other three, and all eyes were on her. "I mean, not that we've got a choice."

"I think we should use this time to get to know each other a bit more!" Haruka chipped in, clapping his hands together. "I mean, we kind of didn't talk to you for very long, Ayano, and I'd love to know you more, as a friend!"

"Wait, before the _formalities…_" Shintaro placed his face in his chin, eyeing Ayano. N – not in _that _way! More like suspiciously, even if the girl was innocent in his own eyes. "If _we're _here, that means we still have _our _snakes and powers. And if _you're _here – "

"I – if you're asking about the Combining Snake, I don't have it anymore!" Ayano exclaimed, holding on to her scarf once more. The action wasn't to sway Shintaro's thoughts; rather, it was to keep her from panicking a little inside, because while she _knew _he'd question it, she still didn't feel like she was worthy enough to just _answer._ They were gods, after all, and they've done their job much longer than she has!"Um, before Azami locked the snakes up, she switched it with the Favoring Snake so that the timelines won't reset ever again…!"

"Speaking of timelines, I guess I still have the memories from this last one intact." Shintaro scratched his head, as if awakening the aforementioned memoirs. "So I guess we won't have trouble – "

"Oh come on, guys!" Takane crossed her arms, red dusting her cheeks at the fact that she had unconsciously seated herself next to Haruka. "We'll figure this out as we get along!"

That's when Haruka placed a smile on his face, saying, "So shall we get to knowing each other better?"

* * *

"Ah, there you are…"

Red eyes looked down to where the Tateyama family belonged, three children running around in a small brick house. The god felt her tears well up, and her smile grew wider. So they were still adopted – and she was glad, of course, even if she wasn't there anymore.

"I'm glad you're all happy down there." She closed her eyes, focusing on the three children she once called her siblings. "I'm happy for you, too. Remember the word 'happiness', because I swear I will bring that feeling to you until the very end."

_Have I become your big sister by now?_

* * *

Kousuke stopped in his tracks, looking down at the floor as if it held some mysterious property. "Do you feel that?"

"Eh, what…?" Shuuya stopped beside him, the hallway's hardwood floors creaking as he did. He looked down at the floor like his brother, but upon seeing nothing, he shrugged. "Hmm, not...well, sort of...? Hold on..."

"You _guys_." Tsubomi seemingly appeared out of thin air, wearing a wide grin in the process. That in itself was quite rare, and it brought both of her brothers' attention to her. "Don't you guys feel _happy_?"


End file.
